The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics was founded with the mission to interest, educate and engage citizens in the political process, and in particular to encourage and support women in becoming more involved in and represented at all levels of government.
We recognize, however, that gender inequality is just one facet of the structural injustice in this country.
We condemn the racism, sexism, transphobia and homophobia that has underlain our country’s political and economic systems since its founding, and the history of state violence against Black Americans that has most recently manifested itself in the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. We grieve with their families and with the families of the other victims, named and unnamed.
Just as suffragists and earlier civil rights activists marched—and often endangered themselves—to demand equality and expanded voting rights, we stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, communities of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community as they exercise their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech to demand justice and reform.
We pledge to help our campus and community create more inclusive environments for its members, where honest discussions of privilege and injustice can lead to positive, equitable and lasting change. This commitment includes recognizing our own privilege, our own responsibility to listen and learn, and the need to ensure that the center’s programming reflects these realities.
Sincerely,
Staff of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
Karen Kedrowski, director
Kelly Winfrey
Susan Cloud